Safer vehicles often make for more complicated repairs
These future and current technologies may help reduce accidents, but as long as humans are at the controls, I don't ever see them being eliminated. Let's look at some of the technologies in place today, so that you can begin to plan for your training needs now and for tomorrow.
Safety by the numbers
There are two basic types of safety equipment employed in today's vehicles: active and passive. Active features are initiated through action or movement of some type and are geared toward preventing accidents. Most often, these are the safety features that enhance the driver's ability to drive more safely, like smart cruise control. Passive features are always available, hiding in plain sight and function passively, engaging during an accident. A good example is the airbag system.Consider this partial list of the active and passive safety features on the 2009 Hyundai genesis:
- electronic stability control;
- traction control;
- 4-wheel ABS (4-sensor);
- advanced dual front airbags;
- BFD (Brake Force Distribution) and brake assist;
- front and rear side-curtain and side-impact airbags;
- electronic front active head restraints;
- tire pressure monitoring system;
- rearview camera; and
- auto defog windshield with rain sensor.
Airbags
Do you remember when airbags first appeared on the scene? When they did, I was anxious to learn about them and get my first look at one. I was grateful to have the chance to repair a vehicle with one that had deployed. I bet you were as well, though I seriously doubt that is the case today.
Repair and replacement of these critical safety devices is old hat for most shops and causes little concern in today's collision industry. What is new in the airbag world are the configurations of bags being developed, such as rear seat cushion airbags and roof mounted bags that are so large that they can cover an entire seating area. Many new vehicles employ as many as eight or 10 airbags in their interiors. Airbags have been engineered to deploy at different speeds, depending on impact severity. Some may not deploy at all in a crash, if sensors notify the system that there were no occupants in the seat at the time of the accident. These systems typically function through sensors in the seat.
Jaguar has developed a system called Adaptive Restraint Technology System (ARTS) that utilizes ultrasonic sound waves to sense the position of the vehicle's occupants and successfully handle airbag deployment. This helps save replacement cost dollars since only those bags that are really needed deploy. These savings are especially significant during airbag deployments that destroy other vehicle components, for example a dash pad, when the airbag is activated.
Electronic active head restraint systems
Electronic active head restraint systems are relatively new. Most often found on high line vehicles like Mercedes, BMW and Lexus, these systems are finding their way into more affordable models. The recently released Hyundai Genesis is loaded with 30 safety features and is equipped with these head restraints.
Concerns about whiplash have been around as long as the automobile itself. In an effort to minimize whip-lash issues due to rear-end collisions, a new federal safety standard was recently mandated that requires manufacturers to address whiplash issues by positioning head- rests closer to an occupant's cranium. This is done through an enhanced seat design with static positioning closer and with a newly developed headrest that automatically moves closer and cradles an occupant's head in the event of a rear-end collision. Both options are now available; the active headrest is the most innovative.
Two versions of the active headrest are in use today. A mechanical version utilizes a system that pivots a mechanism up and forward to cushion the passenger's head when pressure is applied to the seat back, as would occur in the event of a rear-end collision. The system relies on only mechanical components for its operation and requires no electrical power to operate. It is effective and reliable. The electronic version functions in a similar way but involves the use of seat back sensors and electronics to pivot the headrest into position during an impact.
Both systems have been proven to reduce whiplash in rear-end collisions. This option should become standard in most passenger vehicles within several years. There are variations finding their way into the mainstream that employ flex joints at a specific point in the seat itself, that minimize the whiplash effect that occurs in an accident.
You may encounter a vehicle this month that will require you to become involved in the repair of one of these active headrest systems. Let's look at one and walk through some basic repair steps.
The pyrotechnic systems are not repairable, and like airbags or seatbelt pre-tensioners, must be replaced in the event of a deployment and therefore are already being phased out in favor of the mechanical and electrical versions that may be reset. Some of the newer BMW models are equipped with a mechanism that consists of coil springs actuated by an electromagnet produced by Germany's Grammer AG.
These are relatively easy to reset. Once deployed, the headrest locks in a forward facing position. You'll need to check the headrest position, which is simple because of the forward angle of the headrest. Inside it is a latch, similar in design to a hood latch. This latch holds the deployed headrest in the forward position. It can only be released with a special tool. Often, the tool is located in a tool kit provided with the vehicle.
The tool is inserted at the headrest's mounting base, releasing the latch so the rest can be pivoted backwards in to its pre-deployment position. Since the release mechanism is an electromagnet or is mechanical, the onboard sensor system should not need to be reset.
Information about these systems can take a little digging to find. I haven't seen much in the normal reference guides relating to them. Your best source is the manufacturers' repair guides. At this point, unless you can procure accurate repair manuals or reference material, you may be forced into subletting the more complex repairs to a dealer. When in doubt, this is the safest repair course.
Seatbelts
Seatbelt technology has evolved tremendously. Do you remember the simple lap belts in the older cars? The seatbelts in airplanes remind me of those. Since the inception of the seatbelt in 1849 and its first patent in 1885, seatbelts have improved dramatically. Today, many vehicles have pretensioners that tighten seatbelts automatically, firmly drawing the wearer into the vehicle seat.
For a short period, there were active seatbelt mechanisms in many vehicles that traveled along a track in the vehicle doorframe when the door was opened. This operation automatically "installed" the seatbelt on the vehicle occupants. This design was short-lived however due to a lack of strength and general unpopularity among vehicle owners. It also was unreliable and jammed easily.
Most pre-tensioners today work with explosive charges that retract the seatbelt in the event of a collision, while others utilize a mechanical device to operate the retractor mechanism. All of them save lives if worn properly. These retractor mechanisms continually undergo improvements in speed and strength, as well as the seatbelt material itself. As these designs improve, so does the comfort of the belt as well. There are designs in the works that use the vehicle's computer systems to adjust the retractor's "pullback" strength and deployment speed, based on the height and weight of the seat occupants. These retract in a crash and release pressure, milliseconds afterwards. These actions are all directed by microprocessors in the onboard computer.
Final word: Train now
As repairers, we need to prepare for these future innovations. As vehicles become more sophisticated, so does the repair methodology. Some of these technologies are not in use yet, but they soon will be. You should involve your techs, managers and estimators in any training you can find in electronics and SRS systems. Try to instill in all of them a desire to learn these technologies so your shop can stay ahead of the curve. Don't stick your head in the sand and think all is well. Consider how quickly cell phone technology evolved. Remember the old bag phone? That wasn't all that long ago. The same kind of technology exists in the automotive world. You can rest assured it's moving just as fast. Don't be left "holding the bag."
